REPORT: Jobless young struggling to cope with daily life (From St Helens Star)

REPORT: Jobless young struggling to cope with daily life

4:49pm Wednesday 2nd January 2013 in News

MORE than one in 10 young people (12 per cent) in the North West feel they cannot cope with day-to-day life, warns a new report out today.

The Prince’s Trust Youth Index reveals that young people not in employment, education or training (described as NEETs) are significantly more likely to feel unable to cope than their peers.

The report – based on interviews with 2,136 people aged between 16 and 25 across the UK – also shows how more than one in five young people (23 per cent) living in the region did not have someone to talk to about their problems while they were growing up.

The charity's fifth annual Youth Index – which gauges young people’s wellbeing across a range of areas from family life to physical health – shows NEET young people are significantly less likely to have had someone to talk to about their problems.

Jonathan Townsend, regional director of The Prince’s Trust in the North of England, said: “A frightening number of unemployed young people in the North West feel unable to cope – and it is particularly tough for those who don’t have a support network in place.

“We know at The Prince’s Trust that it is often those from the most vulnerable backgrounds who end up furthest from the job market.

“Life can become a demoralising downward spiral - from a challenging childhood into life as a jobless adult. But, with the right support, we can help get these lives on track across the region.”

According to the research, young people not in employment, education or training are significantly less happy across all areas of their lives.

The report reveals that while 35 per cent of young people in the North West feel down or depressed “always” or “often”, this tends to be much higher among NEETs.

The research comes at a time when long-term youth unemployment has been on the rise, with the region seeing a 256 per cent increase since the beginning of the recession.

The report reveals how more than a third young people living in the North West believe their prospects have been “permanently damaged” by the recession and one in five young people living in the region feel they have no future due to the economic crisis.

This is significantly more likely among those not in employment, education or training The annual index also found that one in five unemployed young people across the UK believe their confidence will never recover from their spell out of work.

Richard Parish, chief executive of the Royal Society of Public Health, said: “The Youth Index clearly shows a worrying discrepancy between young people who are in work and those who are not. These unemployed young people need support to re-gain their self-worth and, ultimately, get them back in the workplace.

“With recent record-breaking youth unemployment - the work of charities like The Prince’s Trust with vulnerable young people is more critical than ever.”

The Prince's Trust launched additional support for young people with mental health needs on its Team programme four years ago and has been increasing this support year-on-year.

. Last year, The Prince’s Trust worked with more than 5,400 disadvantaged young people across the North West giving them the skills, confidence and motivation to move into the workplace.

Three in four young people supported by the youth charity move into work, education or training.

For more information about how to help The Prince’s Trust help more young people visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/youthindex or follow The Trust on Facebook or Twitter www.facebook.com/princes-trust / www.twitter.com/princestrust